Although their son disappeared in Syria more than two years ago, Austin Tice's parents are not giving up the fight to bring him back safely.
Tice's father Marc Tice told Mashable that despite a years-long search, he has more unanswered questions than sold leads on his son's whereabouts.
"He went to Syria with a purpose and a cause and a calling. If he knows everything that's going on, he’s appalled at being a story because he hated it when a journalist was the story," Marc said of his son.
However, as the only American still known to be held in Syria, attention has once again turned to the freelance journalist, who was last seen in 2012. Tice's family still doesn't know who is holding him, but does not believe he is being held by Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
On Aug. 13, 2012, two days after his 31st birthday, Tice disappeared. At the time, he was working as a freelance journalist at the time, writing for The Washington Post and McClatchy, and was preparing to travel from the city of Daraya, just south of Damascus, to Beirut, Lebanon. Since then, the only solid proof of Tice's whereabouts has been a grainy video posted one month after his disappearance, which shows him blindfolded and being held by armed men.
The U.S. State Department contacted Tice's parents after The Washington Post told the family and the government that he had disappeared. Since then, the FBI has taken up the case, although Marc said the bureau has not shared much information with the family. Marc and his wife Debra have visited the Middle East several times to try to gather information and raise awareness about their son.
"It was then and it still is now extremely frustrating, and part of it is that while we have been very engaged with the U.S. government and they have been very engaged with us, the communication of information is poor in our opinion," Marc said. "We don't know what other information our government might have that they can't or wont share with us."
In the family's limited communication with the Syrian government, officials have maintained that Tice is not being held in any of their detention facilities, but no other information has been provided. These roadblocks are compounded by the strained diplomatic relationship between Syria and the U.S.
Despite this, Marc said he remains hopeful thanks to the sincerity and commitment of those working with his family, but believes policy issues have held up progress in finding Tice. He added that U.S. President Barack Obama's authorization of a review of U.S. hostage policy may make a difference for his son: "For us, that's huge because it means he is paying attention to the concerns and complaints that we and others are making."
Twenty different people, ranging from families of hostages to former hostages themselves, are involved in the review process.
Family launches #FreeAustinTice awareness campaign
Tice's parents, along with Reporters Without Borders, are now launching a new campaign to raise awareness for their son. Beginning on Feb. 16, the family is asking supporters to share images of themselves wearing a blindfold, and to use the hashtag #FreeAustinTice. The blindfold references the only known image of Tice in captivity, from the 2012 video showing him being held by armed men.
The online campaign is supported by USA Today, McClatchy Newspapers and other media outlets, which will feature a series of ads with the message "Free Austin Tice." Supporters will also be asked to sign a petition, requesting Obama to redouble the U.S. government's efforts to bring Tice home safely.
Although the last images of Tice are unsettling, Marc said he remains confident that his son is still alive in Syria.
"There are people that know where Austin is and who is holding him; maybe we will reach them somehow," he said. "We have every confidence that he is alive; we have every confidence that we will get him home safely."